Determinants of Frequent Jail Admissions: Evidence From Two Counties

Although individuals incarcerated in jails make up around one third of the total incarcerated population, jail incarceration remains relatively understudied. Individuals frequently admitted to jail face complex challenges that increase the likelihood of their return. However, there is little research on the prevalence of jail readmissions and the role that extralegal factors play over and above legal indicators. Using 9 years of data from St. Louis County, Missouri ( N = 11,977), and Louisville, Kentucky ( N = 11,808), we estimate bivariate and negative binomial models to differentiate predictors of frequent jail readmissions. Findings demonstrate essential overlap between the sites where males had a greater likelihood of readmission than females, and prior admissions increased the likelihood of readmission. Despite these convergences, the sites diverge in terms of race and other criminal history characteristics as predictors of readmission. Our study emphasizes the importance of examining predictors of readmission across multiple locales.